Ahi's new hut

Remember the new pot I got.....now it is a hut for Ahi!  She did not want to go in it so I used turkey jerky and it was hilarious --- she really didn't want to go but really wanted the jerky so she would run around and bark at me!  She finally got comfortable and was jumping in and out and sitting in it waiting for more jerky.

Go Karts

We got a wild hair on Saturday nite and went indoor go karting!  It was super fun!

The cars went surprisingly fast.

There was one big crash where Drew plowed into Jim - hard enough that Jim thought his car might have broken - but it kept going!

Henna

This is Grace's latest henna project.

Pots

I decided I needed some depth in my backyard so I went on a pot buying binge!  I picked out the two blueish green ones and Jim picked out the sideways pot.

I don't know what I am going to plant in them - especially that strange sideways one.  I am wondering if I can do the chicken wire/moss routine and plant succulents in it.

Fantasy Football

I won a contest at work for the best Fantasy Football League tradition (winners drinking out of giant mugs and losers drinking out of tiny mugs!) and won 4 tickets to the 49er's VIP training camp! 

The TNDC men who are the biggest football fans are going to the camp! 

Sorry Marty and Doug....you didn't make the cut.  Marty is a non sports fan and Doug is a basketball fan!

Squirreling away snacks

Grace and Drew are helping Grandpa Roy remodel one of his duplexes. 

Grace is using her tool belt that Grandpa gave her for graduation. 

Last weekend, I went into her tool bag to get her hammer and it was FULL of snacks! 

Such a Grace thing to do....she had chips, tic tacs and nuts!  I was cracking up....such a squirrel!

Air Plant

My new air plant, also known as tillandsia.  No soil needed - just a good soaking once a week.  This one has a beautiful bloom on it.

Vertical Garden

Before

I got motivated from my trip to Flora Grubb to do a vertical succulent garden.  I have been going to take a class to teach me how but then I decided I could do it with the help of my contractor (Jim) and my assistant (Grace).

Yesterday Grace and I went to Goodwill and picked up this frame for $7.  Then we got some of the material at Lowe's.  We were stumped on some of what we needed so Jim and I went to OSH last nite to get the rest of the supplies.

Today we made the frame using moss, dirt and chicken wire.  Then Grace and I went to OSH and bought a bunch of small succulents (see raw materials pic).  I thought we had tons and would have a bunch of leftover but we used it all!

It was really fun to do and I love the way it looks!

Step 1 - frame and chicken wire

Step 2 - Moss

Step 3 - Dirte

Ready to plant

Raw material

Finished product

Road Trip

Cool hanging pot that we could do using a garbage can lid

My friend Susan was in town this weekend from Seattle.  She is a plant fanatic so I went with her and two of her friends to Flora Grubb in San Francisco. 

It was really fun because I don't usually take the time to do those types of things.  It gave me a bunch of great ideas for our yard.  Unfortunately, I will only be able to act on a fraction of my ideas due to time and resource constraints!

But stay tuned to see what I have been able to do!

Kangaroo paws - I have been obsessed with these - and finally got some!

Succulents built into table

Here we go again....

About every 2 to 3 weeks this is what our garage looks like while Drew fixes something else on his truck!  This time it is brakes and axle seals on both sides.

Silliness at work

Bad Stache

I had a very silly afternoon at work. 

I was participating in a usability study on an app so I had to go to another building and sit with someone who asked me questions about why I use an app the way I do.

That got me out of my nice safe office where I sit with a bunch of stuffy attorneys.

On the way to the usability lab, I first  ran into the worlds worst mustache* (see above).....which made me giggle.

Then 100 feet down the way, I ran into the worlds worst sideburns* (see above).  More giggling!

Then I go into the usability study and the guy conducting it had a very heavy accent.  He told me we would be doing a "tink a loot" study. 

I am usually pretty good with accents but I could not decipher this statement. 

So I said, "excuse me"? 

And he said " tink a loot". 

We went back and forth a couple times before i figured out he was saying "think out loud"! 

This time I had to giggle in my head - not out loud!

I was so spent from all the giggling that I had to stop and get a smoothie on the way back to my office!

* Note that these are not actual pictures of the people I saw but I went online and found the closest pics possible.

87 days

I just rode the shuttle bus into work for the 87th time since I started riding it.  Yep - I am a dork and keep track of such things.  I also track how many days are work from home, drive in days and sick days!

I figure each day on the bus saves me at least $5 in gas and wear and tear.  So 87 times $5 equals $435 in savings to me for taking the bus!  That is a lot of money!

But more importantly I am not a crazy woman from the commute traffic!

New Carpet

We got new carpet for the family room.  It is darker than before and I really, really like it.  I hope we go at least a week until there is a spill or a barf on it!

Baby Blue Bus

We have a back up bus this week at work - it is powder/baby blue and UGLY.

But the biggest problem is that it has no seat belts!

This morning when I got on it, I was in a tizzy!

Remember that this is the bus route that was within a mile of being involved in a terrible accident with a semi filled with sand that lost its brakes and took out 10 cars.

I immediately (from the bus) emailed the gal in charge of the Shuttle Program and told her I would be shocked if our contract did not require buses with seat belts.  Sure enough, she responded right away and said that the contract does require seat belts and they would look for another bus for this afternoon's trip home.

Safe at work

This morning on the way to the bus stop to catch the shuttle to work, I heard about an accident on Highway 17 (which is where my bus comes from) and I was thinking that my bus had probably just made it past that area if it was on time.

I was wrong. 

While waiting for the bus at the pick up stop, I got a call from the guy I gave first aid to, who was on the bus.  He reported they were stuck behind the accident and they had not moved for 16 minutes.  Darn - they had almost made it thru.

So I let the rest of the waiting crowd know the situation know and we all scattered - jumping each others cars for the ride into the office.

It is a good thing we did not wait.  The bus was stuck for 2 hours before it could turn around and go south to Watsonville, over the hill and up 101 thru Gilroy.  It took the people coming from Santa Cruz 4 hours to get to work this morning.

The accident they got stuck behind was horrific.  A big rig pulling containers of sand lost its brakes and slammed into a line of cars.  There was one fatality and 8 injuries.  The scene shows cars so mangled that you cannot tell the make or model.  I am so thankful our shuttle bus was not 30 seconds faster or they could have been involved.

Ebelskivers

The kids love it when I make ebelskivers in the morning.  Ebelskivers are a Danish pancake that Anna taught me how to make.  Today at Grace's request, I made a quick batch before we all ran off to work.  These were stuffed with berry jam!  Mmmm.

Learn more about ebelskivers.

Distance between friends

Amanda is making these signs for friends going to different colleges.  She opened a shop on etsy and immediately had 26 orders!

Random PicsAhi

Ahi cooling off

Cooking 3 lbs of bacon outside

My baby!  4 months old

Fireworks 2014

A big crowed went out on the boat to watch the fireworks while Mari, Kyle, William, Grandpa Roy and I stayed home.  I stayed home because last time I went and left the dogs home alone Ahi lost her mind and scratched up a door.  This time it was Daisy loosing her mind which makes me sad because I didn't think it bothered her that much.  She must have been terrified the time I left them home alone.

This time I turned up a fan on high, turned on loud music and shut the windows.  And I gave the dogs a bone.  It worked for Ahi - she was fine.  But Daisy was miserable.  Poor baby!

Happy 4th of July Week

From Patriotic William!

Kinney Lakes Backpack Trip

Jim, Marty and I went for a quick backpacking trip on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) starting at Ebbett's Pass and ending at Kinney Lakes.  It is a stunningly beautiful hike with a view of Ebbett's Peak and passing by a number of small lakes before ending up at Upper Kinney Lake.

I have a slight obsession with the PCT - last summer I hiked on it around Mammoth and this year I wanted to backpack on it.  Since we could not go to Cherry this summer because of the fire, we did this trip instead.

Of course there were all kinds of fun and interesting events:

• Marty forgot his hiking boots so he had to hike in his Keens.  Dope!
• We met two crazies on the trail named "Salsa" (a man) and "Top Shelf" (a woman).  This led to us coming up with our own trail names - Jim is Hella Fresh, Marty is Bacon and I am Nacho Mama.
• We borrowed 2 legged backpacking chairs from a friend that Jim and I fell out of multiple times.  But they were great to have.
• There was a HUGE swarm of bugs for hours that sounded like a lawn mower.
• There was a cooler at the trail head with a log book, a trash bag, a pair of boots and a note from "Meadow Mary" for anyone who needed help.  We added some left over food we had - oatmeal, Kind bars and Snicker bars.  Marty checked out the boots but they were too small.

A good time was had by all.

On the road to the trail head.

Hella Fresh on the way

Oh Marty!  Nice "boots"!

Jim and Marty

Jim and Me

A selfie after we arrived at the lake

Upper Kinney Lake

Marty took a nap as soon as we arrived.

Our camping spot

Ahi got tired from the hike in and had to nap in the tent.

A good roll in the grass after a long hike feels awesome!

Pumping some water for dinner

My sweet girlie watching the world go by

Sunset

Sunrise

Marty in the Quaking Aspens

Mur and Ahi were fired up in the snow along the trail

Ebbett's Pass has a flag on top

Selfie at the end of the hike